Bondage & Declan Lavery on their way to an easy win in the second at Killarney© Photo Healy Racing
< Bondage (15-8 favourite) belied any fears over the rain-softened ground to run out a ready winner of the Laurels Bar Hurdle at Killarney.
Gordon Elliott's charge finished down the field in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham in March but got back in the groove in a minor contest at Down Royal a week ago and doubled up in tremendous style under Declan Lavery.
The six-year-old has done most of his winning on a sound surface but coped well with the conditions, travelled like a dream and skipped eight lengths clear of market rival Midnight Oil < Miss Pepperpot (7-1) won the valuable McSweeney Arms Hotel Handicap Chase, showing a determined attitude under Danny Mullins to hold off the late lunge of joint-favourite Carlingford Lough < Irish Soul put a string of indifferent runs behind him when storming back to his best in the International Hotel Killarney Handicap Hurdle.
The James Motherway-trained gelding had been fighting a losing battle with the assessor since recording a hat-trick in 2011 but has slipped back down the weights and took full advantage under Davy Condon.
The 25-1 outsider was in front coming to the last and saw it out well to extend three and a quarter lengths clear of top weight Sebadee
The opening Ross Golf Course Maiden Hurdle saw Coolmill make every yard to provide local trainer Donal O'Shea with his first winner.
Ridden confidently by Joe Holly, the 16-1 chance led from flagfall and although tackled by Sam Da Vinci and All Day Long up the home straight, he stayed out dourly to beat the former by two and a quarter lengths.< Wontbelongnow took the M.D. O'Sheas Maiden Hurdle for John Walsh and Brian O'Connell.
Having his first start since last October, the 11-2 shot battled bravely to see off Usuel Smurfer by six lengths.
